By: LaToya Devezin, New Orleans Public Library

ENGAGING VOLUNTEERS IN ARCHIVES

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for someone else.”

Remember…

-Benjamin Franklin

Agenda

• My NOPL Volunteer Experience

• Engaging Volunteers in Archives

• How to Develop a Volunteer Program for Your Archives

VOLUNTEERS @ THE NOPL

A New Orleans Public Library Story

African American Resource Center

My NOPL Volunteer Experience

• I supervise the AARC’s archives volunteers

• I work with volunteers mostly during the summer

• Last 3 years

• Younger volunteers, ages 16-22

Why Do We Need Volunteers?

• I’m the only archivist

• Help is necessary for large projects

• There is always something to do

How We Get Volunteers

Put in Request

InsuranceForms

MOU

Meet supervisor

and volunteers

List Projects

Our Volunteers

• Reasons: school, court ordered, or work program

• Shared with other dept.- usually get between 1-5

• Work 20-40 hours

• Given a tour and allowed to pick where they work

• Offer great insight and are valuable to us

• Get 2 days of introductory archival training

Pros

Pros

Hardworking

Gain Archival

Experience

Helpful to Us

Cons

Cons

Turnover3rd Party

SupervisorsNo previous experience

Examples of Volunteer Projects

• Arranging and describing records

• Ellis Marsalis Project: – Donated over 500 albums, 100 books– Copyrights for songs–mp3 v. CD (digitization)–Music Listening Stations

ENGAGING VOLUNTEERS

Your Story

"No one cares what you know, unless they know that you care."

Remember…

-Anonymous

Things to Consider

• What have your volunteer experiences been like?

• What were your likes and dislikes as a volunteer?

• What experience do your volunteers have? How can it help you?

Bass, June. “(2012, March). Engaging Volunteers in Difficult Economic Times.”

Accessed from: www.infopeople.org

Ways to Engage Volunteers

• Train them• Explain the

importance of their project(s)

• Let them be involved in the process

• Recruit them

• Trust them• Do not

micromanage them• They bring

valuable skills-use them!

• Find out what they enjoy

Reasons Why They Volunteer

• To meet new people• To learn a new skill• Community service• To network• To give back • Retired• Asked to volunteer

Benefits

• You develop supporters for your repository

• Enhance the services that you offer• Gain valuable community

connections from volunteers• Volunteers understand the

importance of archival work• You have much needed help

Best Tools for Engaging Volunteers

• Thank them• Show appreciation• Thank you bag• Include them

-Nametags-Staff t-shirt-Give them a lunch break

DEVELOPING YOUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Your Future Story

“Give me where to stand, and I will move the earth.”

Remember…

-Archimedes

Steps for Developing Your Volunteer Program

Mission Statement

Policy

Training

VolunteerDescriptio

n

Points to Ponder

• Who will supervise the volunteers?• How many do I need?• Is the staff trained to work with

volunteers?• Who will train them?• How long do I need them?• What will they have access to?

Remember…

Recruit

Engage

Thank

Thank You!

LaToya Devezinldevezin@neworleanspubliclibrary.org